Safety switch apparatus for use in a remote starter system of vehicle

Abstract

A safety switch apparatus for use in a remote starter system of a vehicle, the apparatus having a magnetically actuated electrical switch for disabling the starter system when the switch is closed and a transmission of the vehicle is in-gear, and a magnet for urging the switch into a switched position when the magnet is adjacent thereto. The switch is securely mountable at a fixed mounting position on a frame of the vehicle, and the magnet is directly and securely mountable on a translatable portion of a user actuator for shifting the transmission. The translatable portion of the user actuator is operatively interposed between the transmission and a shifter handle portion of the user actuator. Both the fixed mounting position and the translatable portion are substantially concealed and substantially exterior relative to an interior seating compartment of the vehicle.

I claim:  
     
       1. A safety switch apparatus for use in a remote starter system of a vehicle, said vehicle having a transmission and a user actuating means for shifting said transmission, said user actuating means having a translatable portion that is moveable between a forward configuration, an intermediate configuration and a rearward configuration, with said forward and rearward configurations corresponding to in-gear configurations of said transmission, and with said intermediate configuration corresponding to a neutral gear configuration of said transmission, said starter system having a disabled starter configuration and a default enabled starter configuration in which said vehicle is remotely startable, said safety switch apparatus comprising: 
       a) a magnetically actuated electrical switch means for switching said starter system from said default enabled starter configuration to said disabled starter configuration, said electrical switch means having an open switch configuration, and a closed switch configuration coincident with said disabled starter configuration of said starter system, with a first configuration of said open and closed switch configurations being a default switch configuration, and with a respective other configuration of said open and closed switch configurations being a magnetically switched configuration; and,  
       b) magnetic means for urging said electrical switch means from said default switch configuration into said magnetically switched configuration when said magnetic means is in a substantially adjacent relation with said electrical switch means;  
       wherein a first one of said electrical switch means and said magnetic means is securely mountable at a fixed mounting position on said vehicle, and a respective other one of said electrical switch means and said magnetic means is directly and securely mountable on said translatable portion of said user actuating means, such that said respective other one is moveable relative to said first one; and such that, when said closed switch configuration is the default switch configuration, said magnetic means is in said substantially adjacent relation with said electrical switch means when said translatable portion is in said intermediate configuration; and when said open switch configuration is the default switch configuration, said magnetic means comprises a forward magnetic means and a rearward magnetic means, with said forward magnetic means being in said substantially adjacent relation with said electrical switch means when said translatable portion is in said rearward configuration, and with said rearward magnetic means being in said substantially adjacent relation with said electrical switch means when said translatable portion is in said forward configuration; and,  
       wherein said translatable portion of said user actuating means is operatively interposed between said transmission and a shifter handle portion of said user actuating means, and said fixed mounting position and said translatable portion are substantially concealed and substantially exterior relative to an interior seating compartment of said vehicle.  
     
     
       2. A safety switch apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said closed switch configuration is the default switch configuration. 
     
     
       3. A safety switch apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said magnetic means comprises a natural magnet. 
     
     
       4. A safety switch apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein said first one comprises a mounting plate, and said respective other one comprises a mounting clamp.